The moment
a monarch hatches from its egg it begins to eat. The first thing it eats
is its very own shell!

Can you find the two larvae in this picture?(Click to enlarge.)

Monarchs
spend the larval stage of their lives eating — and growing. In fact,
the typical monarch increases in mass by 2,000 times while it's a caterpillar.
This amazing change takes place in only about 9-14 days.

Can you find
the two larvae in the picture to the right? They are shown at the beginning
and end stages of growth. Imagine gaining weight the way monarch larvae
do!

Journaling
Question

How much
would you weigh if your weight increased 2,000 times? With your answer,
name something that weighs the same amount.